1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to poly(N-acyl alkylenimines) in personal care, and more particularly to partially hydrolyzed, poly(N-acyl alkylenimines), and to nitrogen-substituted derivatives thereof, and to personal care compositions and processes using such polymers.
2. Description of Background Information
Various cationic polymeric components used in personal care provide desirable managing characteristics when applied to keratinous substrates. For example, cationic celluloses have been found to exhibit superior conditioning and substantivity to keratinous substrates, as well as other properties significant for personal care utility. Various cationic cellulosics, however, provide limited solubility in nonaqueous systems and provide limited stability under certain pH conditions, consequently limiting their applicability to certain personal care applications. Cationic polyvinyl pyrrolidones exhibit good solubility but are relatively limited in conditioning ability with respect to the conditioning ability provided by existing cationic celluloses. Copolymers of acrylamide and dimethyl, diallyl ammonium chloride also provide utility in personal care including good solubility, but can contain residual monomers deleterous in personal care applications.
Poly(N-acyl alkylenimines) have been used in personal care applications. U.S. Pat. No. 3,579,630 (Herz et al.) discloses hair dressing formulations with poly(N-acyl ethylenimine) homo- and copolymers. The poly(N-acyl alkylenimines) described in the Herz et al. patent are nonionic polymers, and as such do not provide significant substantivity to keratinous substrates thereby limiting their utility in personal care applications.
Various poly(alkylenimines), and processes for producing such polymers, are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,833,521 (Karbstein et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 4,161,581 (Wagner et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 4,492,788 (Cooke), West German Published patent application No. 1,720,436 (Seeliger et al. I) and West German Published patent application No. 1,720,437 (Seeliger et al. II).
There is a need, however, for a class of polymers having utility in personal care which exhibit both substantivity and flexibility in combination with a desirable balance of additional properties useful in personal care applications. It would also be desirable if such a class of polymers provide additional utility including: solubility in water and other hydrophilic solvents; film strength and gloss; moisture retention; low solution viscosity; as well as additional properties enabling widespread utility in a variety of personal care applications.